For generations, the stage of the historic 1894 Opera House in Boothbay Harbor, Maine has played host to actors and musicians from around the state and around the globe. With over 100 events and performances annually, there is almost always something happening at the House-an evening with a Grammy winning musician, a visit from a Broadway actor, nights of jazz or bluegrass, rocking Celtic concerts, lectures, holiday celebrations and community events fill our schedule. With fine acoustics, historic charm, a great old bar room upstairs and a commitment to reasonably priced tickets, the Opera House is a gathering place for the local community and visitors alike. The Opera House is a 501(c) 3 non-profit committed to the arts, the restoration of the historic building and the community.
A Very Short History of the Opera House
Since 1894 the Opera House has stood in downtown Boothbay Harbor. Originally built by members of the fraternal order, The Knights of Pythias (their crest remains emblazoned on the front of the building), the House served for decades as the lodge for both the Pythians and the Masons. In the intervening years, it lived many lives, and was a restaurant and bar and a private home and the downstairs performance hall was even transformed into a failed mini-mall for a period of time. In 2009 the Opera House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior.
The great performance hall has seen everything from touring orchestras to wrestling matches, funeral services and proms, internationally acclaimed Grammy winning musicians and Broadway stars, folk icons and jazz greats, improv comedy and political debates, basketball games and the Grand March, operas and magic, movies and puppet shows, roller skating and almost anything else the times demanded. These days our performers arrive by car or tour bus, but a quick review of the Boothbay Register from earlier days reports on musicians and actors arriving via ferry from Wiscasset and points south. We have a parking lot today, only because the Strand movie theater burned down in the 1970s. We remain grateful to the firemen who saved the Opera House.
While the Opera House is filled with memories, at the turn of the 21st century it faced an uncertain future. At the time it was privately owned and nearly impossible to maintain. Over the past decade, through steady fundraising and unbridled enthusiasm, the old House was purchased and a non-profit organization was established to “save” it, restore it, and fill it with programming. Today, thanks to support from the community and visitors alike, the Opera House is thriving and open year ‘round.
The Pythian Lodge
While our programming takes place on the main stage, visitors are welcome to walk the long flight upstairs to the second floor. On some evenings the upstairs bar is open (in addition to the bar on the main floor). This space was once the Pythian lodge.
On days and nights when public performances are not scheduled the Opera House is often busy hosting private parties and meetings.
The Opera House is open year round.
Board and Staff Members
2024 Board of Directors
Leslie Bird: Leslie grew up in Waterville, Maine enjoying live performances at the local opera house and swimming in the Belgrade Lakes. She was a Peace Corps volunteer working with women’s weaving cooperatives in Togo, West Africa and later lived in Mali, Benin and Kenya. Leslie moved to Boothbay Harbor in 2004 to work in finance at Bigelow Labs, raise her family, and learn to sail. A perfect Boothbay Harbor day for Leslie includes a swim at the Y, a walk on a land trust trail, and a concert at the Opera House.
Nan Davison: Nan Davison has lived in Boothbay with her husband Chip for 46 years. They raised their 3 daughters here. Nan has been active in many not-for-profts in the community over the years, serving on the boards of the YMCA, BRLT, St Andrews Hospital and the Chamber of Commerce. She served as president of both the YMCA board and the Land Trust board. She was active in the local PTA when her girls were in school. She also has served as director of the Adult Education Program in town. Family is a huge priority for Chip and Nan and they spend much of their time these days visiting with their daughters’ families, and especially enjoying their 10 grandchildren. Summers with them all in Maine are a highlight. Sailing, hiking and biking along with crisscrossing the country in their RV, visiting national and state parks keeps them on the move. Chip and Nan love the Opera House and have been enjoying the incredible talent that has been brought to its stage since opening. They have enjoyed discovering many new artists and state that “there is never a bad performance in this amazing venue!”
Bonnie Ginger, Friends of OH Liaison: Bonnie is a resident of Boothbay with her husband Ron. They have two children and three grandchildren. Bonnie has been a supporter of music for over 40 years. Having worked for Pan Am and then becoming a librarian, service was always a part of her working life. The resurgence of folk music and the array of venues in the Boston Metro area encouraged her to be one of the founders of the Uncommon Coffeehouse, housed in the First Parish Church of Framingham. Ron and Bonnie were also exhibitors at the Great Hudson River Revival in New York, a music festival initiated by Pete Seeger and others to bring recognition to the Hudson River and the need to clean it up. Bonnie also belonged to a women’s African and Middle Eastern drumming and dance group that performed for nonprofit organizations and at local schools to teach children drumming and dance. Being a part of the Opera House “family” is an honor and a privilege.
Allyson Goodwin: Allyson lives year-round in East Boothbay with her husband, Mark, and Border Collie, Kaylee. She and Mark have two grown children who live in NJ and MA. Allyson began a life-long passion for fundraising in high school and has devoted her professional life to philanthropy. She has worked in boarding schools, colleges, and other non-profits. Allyson is currently the Director of Development at the Boothbay Region YMCA and has a side gig as the principal of her own fundraising consulting firm. Allyson was a founding member and President of the Upper Valley Planned Giving Council, served on the Board of Trustees of the Bement School, and is a member of the Colby College Alumni Council. Allyson is an avid pickleball player, voracious reader, film aficionado, enjoys spending time on the water, and listens to a wide variety of music, preferably live, of course!
Brad Hastings: Throughout Brad’s professional career, he worked in independent secondary boarding-day schools in New England. He was a teacher, and primarily, a senior administrator For 18 years, he was a head of school. Upon their retirements in 2011, his wife, Betsy, and he moved to live full-time in their home in Boothbay. For the next year, he worked with a teacher placement agency and acted as a consultant for two schools in the area. He has also served on a Connecticut school’s board of trustees and on three boards of non-profit organizations in the Boothbay region. Brad stays busy by playing golf, pickleball and tennis. And, also, by doing house maintenance, cutting and splitting wood, mowing, weed whacking, blowing leaves and mulching both on Sawyers Island and on the Isle of Springs.
Lenore Imhof: Lenore has spent the last thirty-five years as a high school and middle school educator which has enabled her to have a greater appreciation for the preservation of history and music. She says, “How lucky are we to have this historic jewel in the center of our community!” When not enjoying live music at the Opera House, Lenore can be found hiking the BRLT trails with her husband, Kirk Mikkelsen, and their favorite canine companions, Hover and Moxie, boating along the coast and up the Kennebec River, coaching swimming at the Y, subbing in our local schools, and also, practicing law.
Peg Helming, Board President: Peg and her husband, Bill are long-time members of the greater Boothbay community, starting from the time they met while working summer jobs through college at the Linekin Bay Resort to the present, having owned homes in Boothbay Harbor and Southport since 1980. They now live full-time in Southport. Professionally, Peg worked as a Physician based in Acton, Massachusetts, beginning her career as an Internist, and concluding it in the specialty of Sports Medicine. She served in several professional service roles, including membership on the Ethics and Discipline Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Society (9 years), and Chair of Medical Records (8 years) at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA. She and Bill raised four very active sons and have summered with the family in the Boothbay area since the 80s. She has served as Co-chair of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing and Tennis program and as Chair of the Parents Association at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts, where her four sons graduated. Peg is a long-term and passionate fan of the Opera House, and regularly attends many events with her husband, family, and friends. She enjoys the people she has met through her role and enjoys working with them to help sustain this thriving institution.
Vicki Reinecke: Vicki was born and raised in Boothbay Harbor and attended local schools. She was a founding member/former Treasurer for West Harbor Pond Watershed Association and served on the board of District Nurse Association. Vicki retired from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Administration/HR. The Opera House holds wonderful memories of roller skating with friends after school when it was the YMCA. She enjoys volunteering at the Opera House, walking, and kayaking. Vicki lives in West Boothbay Harbor with her rescue dog Savannah and cat Gronkowski.
Kari Smith, Board Vice President : Kari Smith lives in Boothbay Harbor with her spouse Nancy McGovern and rescue dog Rosie. She played French Horn from 2nd through 4 years of college – latterly in a brass quintet that gigged at weddings and social events. After college she transitioned to singing and body percussion as a way to participate and enjoy music. Her work and life has taken Kari to many countries and areas within which has exposed her to a wide range of musical traditions — and dance! Kari enjoys singing, dancing, and experiencing the range of talent that the Opera House is renowned for. Kari and Nancy are both professional archivists and information managers who teach and coach. Until 2022, they worked at well known universities and at non-profit organizations — graduating to semi-retired and part time consulting in the past 2 years. That has meant that they are able to live full-time in their house that Nancy bought in 1992. Kari’s consulting company is Global Archivist LLC. Kari, Nancy, and Rosie enjoy walks around town and at the Land Trust properties. If you see a dog in town you may well also find Kari there petting it! “Sorry I’m late – I saw a dog” could be her tagline. Being a member of the Boothbay Opera House Board has given her an opportunity to understand the workings of the Opera House and to contribute her skills and experiences.
Mark Spencer: Mark and his wife, Barbara, along with his two grown daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Anna, are long-time summer residents of Boothbay Harbor. An officer in the United States Marine Corps and Naval Aviator with 41 years of experience flying various aircraft worldwide, Mark recently concluded a distinguished career with Delta Airlines in 2021. Now, Mark contributes his wealth of experience to the community of Bayville, Maine, serving on the Board of Overseers. Embracing his passion for hiking, boating and a mild addiction to Pickleball, Mark believes there’s no better place to call home. Beyond his adventurous spirit, Mark holds a deep appreciation for the arts, particularly live music. His love for old buildings finds a perfect match in the cherished and historic Opera House. Mark’s commitment to the Opera House reflects his dedication to preserving and enhancing the vibrant arts community that makes Boothbay Harbor truly special.
Jill Tupper, Board Secretary: Jill Kaplan Tupper is a local attorney who retired in January 2023 after practicing law in Boothbay Harbor for thirty years. Boothbay Harbor was her husband Stan’s home town and they moved back here in 1972. Their daughter Lara was born in 1973 and attended the local schools. Jill has always had an interest in bringing the performing arts to the community. She was a founding member of the Performing Arts Council (1981-1989) ; the PAC brought artists to town for evening performances in the school gym for the community and workshops in the schools during the day. She can still remember folks dancing their hearts out to a klezmer band on a snowy winter night. John Andrews was a friend and got the Tuppers involved in the Opera House from the very beginning. Jill is looking forward to working with the Board to continue the great work already in place through the hard work of so many people.
Amy Valentine, Board Treasurer: Amy lives with her husband Michael in Boothbay Harbor during the summer and in Bonita Springs, FL in the winter. Amy retired in 2019 from her position as a Tax Technology leader at a global professional services firm. She led long term projects in several countries and had the opportunity to lead a practice in Hyderabad, India where she focused on recruiting, training and deployment of professionals. Amy loves the Opera House because it brings experiences to town that she would not have thought to seek out. There is no better feeling than being in the audience experiencing these artists while surrounded by friends and neighbors doing the same. In addition to spending time on Opera House endeavors, Amy is a member of the board of The Oceanview Condominium Association and the Kawanhee Properties Association. She is also an avid knitter and enjoys any opportunity to gather and learn with other knitters.
Opera House Staff
Cathy Sherrill, Executive Director: Cathy Sherrill has served as the Executive Director of the Opera House since 2006. She arrived at the House following a 20 year stint in development at Smith College, Deerfield Academy, Tabor Academy and Sea Education Association. Along the way she worked in film and television, and ran summer concert series for fun and served as a field assistant for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Like all small non-profits, everyone at the Opera House wears many hats. In addition to managing general operations Cathy is responsible for the day to day financial oversight of the organization, booking acts & facility rentals, press & marketing, and bar operations, while working alongside Technical Director Kevin Kiley and Box Office and Membership Manager Eric Lowe.
Kevin Kiley, Technical Director: Kevin joined the Opera House staff in November 2011, after volunteering during the Opera House’s earliest years. He may be best known for his over the top holiday decorating at the Opera House, but he works tirelessly year-round in the lighting booth and with the ever changing tech crews during concert load-ins. When not specifically busy with set design or performance load-ins, Kevin takes care of maintenance projects around the building. When not at the Opera House he teaches piano and voice in the region. For more than 30 years he has served as the house piano player at the Boothbay Harbor Inn. He is a musician, an actor and a mega talent who has toured nationally, and we are lucky that he calls Boothbay and the Opera House home.
Eric Lowe, Membership and Box Office Manager: Eric joined the Opera House team in June of 2021. Originally from Silver Spring, Maryland, Eric studied painting at the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. He soon got involved in the city’s underground music scene, but kept his day jobs, among them doing cardiac ultrasound at Johns Hopkins. While in Baltimore, Eric met his wife Jen, who told him stories of glorious summers spent at her grandparents’ home in Boothbay Harbor. After a few twists and turns including a spell in NYC, Eric and Jen now live in town, where Eric enjoys the walk across the footbridge to the Opera House. When there is a break in the action, Eric works on songs, goes adventuring with Jen, and muses about philosophy, current affairs, and weird old records.